


The Life

by yuletide_archivist



Category: The Authority
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2006-12-19
Updated: 2006-12-19
Packaged: 2018-01-25 02:03:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,034
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1625753
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yuletide_archivist/pseuds/yuletide_archivist
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Apollo and Midnighter, living the way they choose.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Life

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to bucketmouse for being my beta!
> 
> Written for starlurker

 

 

The Midnighter casually kicked the pimp's head against the wall, smiling just a bit at the sound of bone going `crunch'. It had been a long day and was shaping up to be a long night, and he had no need to be merciful - nor any desire to do so. All things considered, it had been much too hard to find the information they needed. He wanted a break.

The knowledge that the scum living in the shadows of the city were frightened enough of their target to not want to talk was a little laughable, though. Scared of a two-bit kingpin of a human smuggling ring. Of course, now they knew who they should really be afraid of.

They'd know even better after this night's work.

"Sometimes I think you have a little too much fun doing that." There was a smile in his companion's voice, and Midnighter turned to see the accompanying expression on Apollo's face.

Midnighter's expression changed, slipping from `vicious killer enjoying carnage' to something a little less frightening - not that the previous expression would have given Apollo pause. "That's what they call making my own fun." He looked down at the bloodied pimp. "They don't seem to like to play along anymore."

"What a surprise," Apollo laughed. "Did you find out where we're headed to next?" His tone implied that he did not have any doubt that his partner had indeed retrieved the information they were looking for. He trusted completely in Midnighter's ability to extract anything they needed to know through intimidation and wanton violence, and hadn't been let down yet.

"A warehouse down by the docks." It seemed like they were always going to a `warehouse down by the docks', as if the dregs of humanity couldn't find anywhere else to conduct their illicit business. "Could use a scenery change one of these days." Midnighter worked a few kinks out of his muscles, there more because of the cold night than because of the sad excuse for a fight he'd been in.

"Maybe the next ones will have the courtesy to operate out of a nice house somewhere in the suburbs," Apollo said, not entirely unserious. Who knew what they'd be taking care of next. Humanity's petty misdeeds were varied and endless, and they didn't even have to seek out anything. It seemed as though no matter where they went, their simple presence in the alleyways of the world's cities brought trouble to them.

Apollo and Midnighter weren't intent on fixing everything, and in fact were doing their best to keep a low profile. But neither of them were interested in ignoring these things when they popped up right in their faces.

Besides, Midnighter really liked to hit things. And Apollo didn't exactly hate it, either.

"Better get going. They'll be packing up and getting out of there as soon as they hear someone's coming." Midnighter nodded to his partner, who opened the door for them. He closed it politely once they`d exited, leaving the pimp to quietly bleed to death.

***

Some hours later, the sun was coming up. Somewhere, a number of smugglers who specialized in human trade were very, very sad (and a significant portion of them were very, very dead).

Apollo and Midnighter were just settling down to sleep.

Not that it was really necessary, of course - their enhancements made that certain. Both of them could go much longer without rest. But there was something calming about regular sleep. Apollo had once said that it made him feel more human, and such things sometimes seemed few and far between these days. So they slept.

First, Midnighter was wiping the blood off his boots. One of the disadvantages of being a hand-to-hand fighter was the mess. No matter how efficient you were, you invariably got something bloody. Midnighter was extremely efficient when he wanted to be, but of course, he didn't always want to be. Tonight had been one of those nights, after he'd seen the frightened expressions and bruised bodies of some of the children they'd found.

He worked his anger out in useful ways.

Apollo's clothing, though often torn in some way, tended to get much less stained. When you could incinerate someone with hardly a glance, there was less blood involved. Even when they took care of things at night, he was more than powerful enough to get the job done.

He didn't have any cleaning to take care of, so he was watching his partner work. The abandoned building they were squatting in had windows facing east, and Apollo had taken care to place himself in the optimum place for some sunbathing. It would help him sleep.

He watched Midnighter's strong hands work and thought about how they'd gotten there. They'd spent so much time carefully under the radar, taking care of what they could without getting too much attention.

Apollo wanted to think they couldn't have survived without each other, but the truth was that they most likely could have. But that wouldn't have been a decent life. This, instead, was far better.

He smiled to himself and slid over to where Midnighter was sitting, taking the boot he was working on out of his hands. "Looks clean enough to me. Besides, you know it'll only get bloody again."

"Keeping my belongings in one piece is the real battle. Didn't you know?" Midnighter directed a casual smirk at Apollo, not batting an eye when Apollo's response was to lean in and kiss him.

Midnighter smelled like blood, but if Apollo had cared he would never have been there in the first place. They knew each other so well. They moved lazily, post-fight sex getting the last of the adrenaline out of their systems. It didn't last long, but it didn't need to.

They lay together afterwards. Their arms were casually looped around each other, closeness providing some measure of warmth and comfort.

"One day we'll get tired of this," Apollo said as he relaxed towards sleep, the sun's rays resting on his face, not disturbing him at all.

"Are you tired?" Midnighter's eyes were shut, but he could hear the pleased tone in Apollo's voice when he answered.

"No."

 


End file.
